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Breast Milk May Serve as Personalized Breast Cancer Screen, Study Says
Filed under: In The News, Breast-Feeding, Health
Breast cancer risk can be determined by examining the cells from the breast. Credit: Getty Images
New research suggests breast milk, in addition to the more sophisticated and invasive biopsies and screens, can uncover the earliest signs of breast cancer, according to researchers at the American Association for Cancer Research.
Breast cancer risk can be determined by examining the cells from the breast, says Kathleen Arcaro, a professor of veterinary and animal sciences at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in a news release presented at the organization's annual convention in Florida this week.
Her team of researchers studied 250 women in 41 states who were deemed at high risk for breast cancer. The women also were nursing and agreed to provide breast milk for the study, Arcaro says in the release. The fresh samples were processed within 24 hours of expression.
Researchers relied on a growing body of data that shows the DNA of malignant cells take on a distinct epigenetic profile as a result of a molecular process known as methylation, Arcaro says. These methyl groups attach to DNA to turn genes on or off, and, in cancer cells, more of these groups bind to the DNA.
"Although the sample size in this study is small, "it's sufficient to tell us that we can use the cells in breast milk to assess breast cancer risk," Arcaro says in the release. Additional studies are needed to expand the results, she adds.
Breast cancer screenings of every woman who gives birth in a hospital is the long-term goal, Arcaro says in the release.
"We'll take a little sample of colostrum, and we'll tell her how her breasts are doing," she says in the release. "It's totally noninvasive, potentially inexpensive and really accurate."
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
4-06-2011 @ 11:38AM
jamijami99 said...Anything that Http://www.treatingbreastcancer.com helps detect this disease early is good news.
Reply
4-06-2011 @ 11:38PM
Jo Segarra said...Oh great, that's all we need, more excuses for the medical staff to harrass us about cancer screening. Can't women who have just given birth be allowed to enjoy their babies? Some of us do not want to know "how our breasts are doing", as long as we are comfortable with ourselves. Women who have given birth are unlikely to be in a high risk age group anyway. It's bad enough to be harrassed about breast exams during pregnancy. If they want to offer this new screening, let it be voluntary; someone could have it on her record if she wants it before she enters the hospital to give birth, and if she has said she does NOT want it, she should be left alone.
Reply
4-06-2011 @ 3:10PM
me said...Obviously you are not aware of all the forms of breast cancer and yes even someone just giving birth can be in the high risk breast cancer if they have it in their family or just the high estrogen levels during and after pregnancy can cause breast cancer. I think this is great news! Anyone who has gone through a biopsy,knows how invasive and expensive (even with insurance) it can be. So to have a test that just examines your breast milk or the colostrum that comes before the breast milk is so much easier and bound to be less expensive. Breast cancer can and does come even in the twenties in some women!
Reply
4-06-2011 @ 6:13PM
Jo Segarra said...OK, I just feel it should be voluntary and women should not be bullied. Pregnancy can also cause benign changes in the breast so it is probably not a good time to screen; a woman could be caused unnecessary worry and pushed into further invasive testing or treatment. And yes, some of us would rather not know and would not accept treatment anyway. There are many of us out there :)
4-11-2011 @ 11:09PM
Tina said...I wish this had been available when I gave birth to my baby, because I was diagnosed a year later (a few months ago) with breast cancer. Had to stop breastfeeding and get a bilateral mastectomy. If they do it routinely, how can this be a bother? It can only help.
@Jo: I hope you never have to go through what I just went through. Open your eyes. Early screening is the only way. This would have saved my breasts and much more...
.
Reply